After-Effects Of Training
by Hiccup The Demigod
Summary: Hiccup decides that he needs to train for all types of situations. Even ones where he might lose his prosthetic in the process. When he tells his friends of this idea. They join in on the exercise to show their support. Unfortunately for Hiccup, he's not as well as he thought he was. Set right after We Are Family Part 2
1. Chapter 1

The Viking teens had just finished flying their dragons in the air parade and were now at the Academy waiting for the day's class to start.

Hiccup was standing in front of the chalkboard, waiting for everyone to get their dragons to settle down. Anyone who looked at him, could still see how pale he was from his ordeal on Outcast Island. From what they knew so far was that Alvin had locked him and dark, damp cell, and didn't give him anything to eat or drink for three days.

When he arrived back home yesterday, Stoick had Gothi look him over. She told them that he wasn't to leave the house for the next few days. But Hiccup being the stubborn teenager that he was, didn't listen.

"You should go home and rest," Fishlegs commented as he walked over the dragon trainer.

"I'm fine," Hiccup stated. Which wasn't entirely a lie. When he woke up this morning he felt dizzy and had a strange urge to go back to sleep. But riding Toothless had fixed that. Now he felt re-energized and ready to take on the training exercise he had planned out.

"So what are going to be doing today, Hiccup?" Astrid asked as she scratched Stormfly's chin.

"It's more of what I'll be doing," Hiccup explained.

"Then why are we here?" Snotlout asked.

"I need you guys to set up obstacle courses and keep Toothless under control," Hiccup answered.

"What are you planning?" Astrid asked.

"I'm going sound crazy, but bear with me on this," Hiccup warned. "I need to learn how to be able to get around without my prosthetic."

Stunned silence filled the arena. Even the dragons remained silent, not making a single noise.

"You need to do what?" Snotlout asked, breaking the silence.

"You're crazy," Ruffnut stated.

Hiccup sighed. "I need to learn how to get around with just my one good leg."

"Why?" Fishlegs asked.

"Say Toothless and I crash-land on another island and something happens to my prosthetic, rendering it useless. Or if it comes off. Toothless is to far away to help me or is injured himself. None of you are around to help either. I need to be able to get to him and to safety before something happens. Like a wild dragon attack," Hiccup explained.

"We should all practice this," Astrid commented.

"No we don't," Snotlout stated. "We all have our own two legs."

"But what if one of them breaks or is damaged in someway?" Astrid reasoned.

Snotlout huffed. "Hookfang will help."

"Hookfang is unable to help," Astrid pointed out.

The Jorgenson boy opened his mouth but said nothing.

"Great, now that's settled. I'll go first," Hiccup offered as he walked over to the far end of the arena. "Fishlegs, I want you to keep Toothless away from me. He's going to want to help. I can't let him."

"Why not just put him in a cage," Snotlout suggested.

Hiccup sat down the ground and took off his prosthetic leg. "Because there are no cages on other islands."

Astrid walked over to him and picked up the false leg. "Where do you want it?"

"Place it in the center of the arena," Hiccup said.

Once Astrid placed it of the floor, she went to go help Fishlegs with Toothless, who was already trying to get to Hiccup.

Hiccup placed his hand on the wall behind him and pushed himself up.

"You won't have a wall to help you on other islands," Snotlout commented as he stood next the twins, who were not paying attention as usual.

"You're right Snotlout," Hiccup said. "But with time, I'll be able to get up without a wall helping me."

Snotlout crossed his arms over his chest and scowled as he watched his cousin let go of the wall. Hiccup balanced himself as his right leg got used to holding all of his weight. He then swung his arms forward and lifted his leg off of ground, thus leaping forward.

Hiccup landed on his foot, but was not able to balance himself quick enough. He started to fall forward. The dragon trainer thrust his arms forward, hoping to catch himself before he ate stone. As his luck would have it, he was able to catch himself. He pushed himself into a sitting a position and looked over at Toothless, who was staring at him with concern.

"I'm fine, Bud," Hiccup reassured. "Started out to big."

Astrid looked at Hiccup. "Can you get up?"

Hiccup didn't answer, instead he sat himself up his knees and placing his hands firmly on the ground in front him. He began to pull his right leg out from underneath him as he slid his hands toward his body. He placed his foot firmly on the ground and pushed himself up off the floor. The dragon trainer quickly balanced himself.

Everyone, even the twins, who stopped fighting each other, watched as he looked down at his foot and started taking small hops forward.

Hiccup was well aware of everyone watching. His was aware of Snotlout mouthing the word 'fall' over and over again. He was aware of how dizzy the task was making him. He was aware that if he broke his concentration that he would indeed fall over, so he tuned everything around him, out. Except for his prosthetic. That was his goal after all.

If his mind wandered from the goal at hand for even a second, he would lose his balance. But he would quickly catch himself before he fell and right himself.

When Hiccup reached his destination, he slowly began to lower himself, but once as he did so, his vision began to swim, he fell backwards, thus landing flat on his back and his head hitting the stone floor. He over did himself and he knew it.

He laid there for a few seconds, before pushing himself up into a sitting position. The dragon trainer grabbed his prosthetic and put it back on, but he remained sitting. He made no move to stand.

Astrid let go Toothless and jogged over to Hiccup. She knelt down in front of him. "You okay, Hiccup?"

"Yeah," Hiccup answered. "Just dizzy."

Astrid grabbed both of his hands. "Here. Let me help you."

Hiccup would have pulled away, but he was already standing. "Thanks," he said offering her a small tired smile.

She returned a smile and let of his hands. Right away he started to sway. Before he had a chance to fall, she caught him and began to lead him over to Toothless.

"You pushed your limits," Astrid explained. "Why don't you rest for a bit?"

"I'm fine," Hiccup protested.

"No, you're not," Snotlout stated while trying to bite back his laughter. "You look like you're going to be sick."

"Astute observation, Snotlout," Astrid mocked. "For that, you get to go next."

Snotlout just looked at her smugly. "No problem. This'll be easy."

Astrid helped Hiccup sit down next to Toothless, who was already fussing over his rider. "This should be interesting," she said to Fishlegs and Hiccup.

Snotlout stood at the far end of the wall. "Now what?"

"Fishlegs take Snotlout's helmet and sword. Put them in the center of the arena," Astrid said looking over Ingerman boy. "Ruffnut and Tuffnut, keep Hookfang away from Snotlout."

"Why?" Tuffnut asked.

"Just do it," Astrid ordered, not bothering to explain anything.

"You can't take my helmet," Snotlout complained, as he refused to give it to Fishlegs.

"It's part of the exercise," Astrid stated. "If you can reach the center of the arena on one leg, you get it back. If you fail, you have to wait until your next turn."

Fishlegs held out his free hand for the helmet. Snotlout, unwillingly took it off his head and gave it to him.

Once Fishlegs placed the sword and helmet in the middle, Snotlout lifted his right leg off the ground and started hopping forward.

Astrid sat down next to Hiccup as they watched Snotlout fall face first after a few hops. Hiccup bit back the urge to laugh at his cousin. The twins did the exact opposite and laughed. It was hard to tell, but it seemed that Hookfang was enjoying his rider's misfortune.

Once they stop laughing, Hiccup spoke up, "Not as easy as you thought would be, is it Snotlout?"

Snotlout stood up. "Shut up, Hiccup."

"Just concentrate on the task. Don't think about anything else," the dragon trainer suggested.

Snotlout lifted his right leg again and began to hop. While he hopped, he kept looking down at what he was doing. Finally he reached his sword and helmet. He promptly set his foot on the floor, bent over and picked up his stuff.

"That wasn't so hard," he stated smugly.

Hiccup moved to stand up, but both Toothless and Astrid kept him sitting down. He was glad that they did, his vision swam everytime he moved.

"We're going to be practicing this until we get it perfect. That means it will get harder and harder," Astrid said as she stood up. "I'll go next."

Astrid placed her axe in the center of the arena and walked over to the far end of the wall. She wasn't worried about her dragon coming to her aid. Stormfly was smart enough to know that this was just a training exercise.

She looked over at Hiccup and noticed the he was leaning against his dragon with his eyes shut. She was tempted to stop the training exercise and take him home, but he would never allow it. Instead she just lifted her left leg up and began hopping.

Hopping came natural to her. When she was younger, she used draw a series of squares in the dirt and hop from one to the next. Her father told her that it was a good way to improve her battle skills. At the time she didn't see how, she just enjoyed hopping. Now she relished in her father's knowledge. All that hopping will make a difference when it matters.

She when she made it to the center of the of the arena, she bent down and picked up her axe. "Who's next?"

Before anyone could answer, Toothless let out a soft growl as he nudged his nose against Hiccup's face. Hiccup, himself, was looking even paler than he had earlier.

Astrid dropped her axe and ran over to the duo. She knelt down next to Hiccup and put her hand to his forehead.

"What's wrong with Hiccup?" Fishlegs asked.

"Fever," Astrid said. "We have to get him home."

"How are we going to do that?" Tuffnut asked.

Astrid stood up and faced her friends. "Fishlegs go get Gothi. Snotlout go find Stoick, tell him what's going on. Ruffnut hold Toothless back. Tuffnut help me get Hiccup on Stormfly. I'll take him home."

Fishlegs and Snotlout got on to their respective dragons and flew out of the Academy.

Ruffnut gently pushed Toothless away from his rider and talked to him in soft tone, while Tuffnut helped Astrid put Hiccup on top of the Nadder.

"Ruffnut, let Toothless go. He's going to meet us back at Hiccup's," Astrid said as she climbed onto her dragon's back.


	2. Chapter 2

Astrid landed in front of the Haddock home, just as Stoick was running up the stone steps. Toothless was ahead of him. She jumped off of the dragon's back and stared sadly at the chief of their tribe.

"What happened?" Stoick demanded when he reached the top.

Astrid began explaining Hiccup's training exercise he planned after the parade and how he said he was dizzy after he finished the first challenge of the exercise. Just as she finished, Fishlegs showed up with Gothi.

Stoick got Hiccup off of Stormfly and carried him towards the house. "Let's get him to bed."

* * *

Astrid and the other teens sat outside the Haddock household waiting for news on Hiccup. The scene felt all to familiar to all of them. It felt like they had gone back in time to after the battle with the Red Death.

The twins were sitting in the grass, not talking or fighting. Fishlegs was constantly voicing his worries. Snotlout was sitting on the porch, debating on whether or not to go in. Despite his rivalry with his cousin, he did care. Astrid had tried to figure out what was happening inside by flying up and looking through the window just above Hiccup's bed, but they had closed it. Now she was pacing in front of the house.

"What if he doesn't get better. He'll get sicker and sicker," Fishlegs said as he wrung his hands together.

"Will you shut up?" Snotlout ordered. "He'll be fine. He's Hiccup. He'll always be fine."

"If you know that, then why are you here?" Fishlegs asked.

"As his cousin, I have to be," Snotlout answered.

That wasn't necessarily true. If it was, Hiccup's uncle, Spitelout, would be waiting as well. Snotlout was here because he was worried for Hiccup just like everyone else. He just wasn't willing to show it.

"Snotlout's right," Astrid said looking at Fishlegs. "You have to stop coming up with negative possibilities. It's putting us all on edge."

Fishlegs nodded as he clamped his mouth shut.

Just then, Stoick walked out. His expression was unreadable.

"How is he?" Astrid asked.

Stoick sat down on the porch. "He'll be fine once the fever passes and starts eating again."

"Is he awake?" Fishlegs asked.

"Woke up long enough to throw up what little he had for breakfast, then fell right back to sleep," Stoick answered. "All of you go home. Your parents will be wondering where you are."

The teens reluctantly left and headed home to their parents

* * *

Stoick sat by the fire, occasionally poking the flames, while he listened to his son toss and turn in his sleep. He wanted to go up there and check on him, but Toothless wasn't letting him. Every time he reached the top of the steps Toothless, who was laying next the teenager's bed, would look at him and bare his teeth.

He had tried to reason with the Night Fury, but it was useless. Toothless wouldn't listen to him. The dragon made it clear that it was Stoick's fault Hiccup was sick.

In a weird way it was. Stoick knew that Hiccup shouldn't have gotten out of bed this morning, but the boy wanted to be in the air parade. And the chief was not about to deny his son's wishes after everything that has happened. He figured that the flight would do the boy good. After the parade ended, Stoick tried to get Hiccup, but the boy had already started a new training exercise for him and his friends. He should have stopped it before the lesson began, but his son looked fine.

Now the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself, wasn't letting him near Hiccup.

* * *

Hiccup's fever-induced nightmares were so vivid and realistic, he thought they were really happening, but somewhere deep in his subconsicious, he knew that they weren't. His nightmares of Alvin riding the Queen Dragon said otherwise.

Toothless cooed gently as his human started tossing and turning again. Every time Hiccup would find a comfortable position to sleep in another nightmare would hit. The Night Fury did the best he could to help the teenager, but everything he did seemed wrong.

The black dragon knew that Stoick wanted to help, but he wasn't going to let that man near Hiccup. It was his fault to begin with.

After trying to help his human hatchling for what seemed to be the billionth time, Toothless went downstairs and looked at the chief, who was staring at the fire.

The Night Fury walked over to him and nudged his hand, thus giving him permission to help the ill boy upstairs

"You've finally come to your senses, Toothless?" Stoick asked.

Toothless nodded, before heading back upstairs. He was going to watch Stoick's every move as he helped.

* * *

Toothless watched as his human's father placed a damp rag on the boy's forehead. He briefly wondered why, but then he remembered that after they battled the Red Death, Hiccup developed a fever and anyone who was with him at any given time, would do what Stoick was doing. The bigger man was trying to bring the fever down.

Stoick looked at Toothless staring him. "He'll be okay," he promised.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Astrid flew to the Haddock household, only to find Stoick sitting outside with his head in his hands

Bracing herself for horrible news, Astrid got off of her dragon and walked over to Stoick. "Chief?"

The chief looked up at her. "Morning, Astrid."

"How's Hiccup?" Astrid asked.

"He's fever's gone down, but he's still not awake," Stoick answered.

"Why are you out here and not inside?" Astrid questioned, relieved that Hiccup was doing better.

"Toothless kicked me out," Stoick admitted.

The teenager stifled her laughter and said. "He's probably just being protective."

Stoick sighed and rubbed his forehead. "You're telling me. I think he blames me."

"Toothless doesn't blame you," Astrid stated. "He's just worried. We all are."

Stoick stood up and stretched. "He wouldn't let me anywhere near Hiccup for several hours. Eventually he came to his senses and decided to let me help, but he kept watching me the entire time."

Astrid had no idea what to say to that. Everyone on the island knew how protective Toothless was when it came to Hiccup's well-being.

"Mind if I go in?" Astrid asked.

"Go ahead," Stoick answered.

* * *

When Astrid reached the top of the stairs, she saw Toothless sitting at the foot of Hiccup's bad, staring at him. Slowly she walked over to he Night Fury and placed a hand on his head. Toothless turned and looked up at her.

"He looks better than he did yesterday," Astrid commented as she rubbed the dragon's head.

Toothless roared sadly. He wanted Hiccup to wake up. He didn't like waiting.

"He'll wake up soon," Astrid promised as she sat down next to the Night Fury. "He just needs to rest for right now."

Right then Hiccup started to groan in his sleep. Toothless moved to the side of the bed and nudged his rider's shoulder. Astrid stood and watched for a moment, before moving to the other side of the bed. She placed the palm of her hand on Hiccup's forehead. It felt warm, but not as warm as it did yesterday.

"His fever might be breaking," Astrid noted as she pulled her hand back.

The blonde dragon rider went back downstairs and exited the house.

"Chief," she said getting Stoick's attention.

Stoick turned and faced her. "What is it, Astrid?"

"I think his fever is breaking," Astrid replied

* * *

Watching someone go through the motions of a breaking fever was a hard thing to do. In the two hours it took for Hiccup's fever to finally break, he had woken up three to times to throw up what little was left in his stomach, then fall right back into unconsciousness. He also had several bouts of spasms and screaming.

It was hard to listen to the screams. Hearing Hiccup screaming in pain and fear from his nightmares, was heart-wrenching. Those who were with him, wanted to pull him into a hug and tell him that everything would be okay. Toothless had tried to, but the dragon trainer would just scream again.

Astrid and Stoick to comfort in knowing that Hiccup wouldn't remember what he went through as his fever broke.

When Hiccup's finally broke, he slept peacefully.

* * *

Astrid and Stoick sat downstairs as they waited for Hiccup to finally wake.

"I never asked," Stoick said breaking the long silence, "but why would Hiccup train to get around on one leg?"

"In case his prosthetic was ever damaged in a crash-landing and Toothless was unable to help," Astrid answered.

"Whatever gave him the idea though?" Stoick asked.

Astrid shrugged. "Probably something happened on Outcast Island that gave him the idea."

Just then they heard a groan come from upstairs. Both Astrid and Stoick got to their feet and rushed upstairs.


End file.
